Recent Advances and Future Perspectives in Catalyst Development for Efficient and Sustainable Biomass Gasification: A Comprehensive Review

Biomass gasification represents a pivotal technology for sustainable energy and chemical production, yet its efficiency and product quality are critically dependent on catalyst performance. This comprehensive review systematically synthesizes recent advancements in catalyst design, mechanistic insights, and process integration in biomass gasification. Firstly, it details the development and performance of catalysts in diverse categories, including metal-based catalysts, Ca-based catalysts, natural mineral catalysts, composite/supported catalysts, and emerging waste-derived catalysts. Secondly, this review delves into the fundamental catalytic reaction mechanisms governing key processes such as tar cracking/reforming, water–gas shift, and methane reforming. It further explores sophisticated strategies for catalyst structure optimization, focusing on pore structure/surface area control, strong metal–support interactions (SMSIs), alloying effects, nanodispersion, and crystal phase design. The critical challenges of catalyst deactivation mechanisms and the corresponding activation, regeneration strategies, and post-regeneration performance evaluation are thoroughly discussed. Thirdly, this review addresses the crucial integration of zero CO2 emission concepts, covering in situ CO2 adsorption/conversion, carbon capture and storage (CCS) integration, catalytic CO2 reduction/valorization, multi-energy system synergy, and environmental impact/life cycle analysis (LCA). By synthesizing cutting-edge research, this review identifies key knowledge gaps and outlines future research directions towards designing robust, cost-effective, and environmentally benign catalysts for next-generation, carbon-neutral biomass gasification systems.